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With the rapid growth of credentialing in the United States and globally, there have been significant increases in fraudulent credentialing practices. These practices include forged, altered, fake, or misrepresented credentials such as degree, diploma, certification, or other official documentation. Examples include:
Degrees especially constitute a growing problem. With many people unable to obtain a degree due to the cost of postsecondary education and competition for jobs spurring many people to misrepresent their qualifications, “diploma mills” are flourishing. A World Education Services report (2017) estimated there were more than 1,000 diploma mills in the U.S. and more than double that worldwide. The scale of this problem is large – bogus degrees are estimated at more than a billion-dollar industry globally.
Fraud in the credentialing marketplace can undermine the credibility of educational and professional institutions, lead to unqualified individuals being hired, and create an unfair advantage for those involved in the deception.
Four issues are key in the fraudulent credentialing arena:
To combat fraud, governmental entities, employers, higher education institutions, and others have implemented measures such as:
The effectiveness of these solutions to combat fraud varies:
Many states in the U.S. have established regulations to address the problem of diploma mills (an unaccredited or phony university that offers degrees, diplomas, or certificates—usually online). These regulations typically aim to protect consumers from fraudulent educational institutions. States such as Washington, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, and Wyoming have enacted laws or regulations to address this issue. For example, Washington’s regulations address “False academic credentials—Unlawful issuance or use—Definitions—Penalties.” A "false academic credential" means a document that provides evidence or demonstrates completion of an academic or professional course of instruction beyond the secondary level that results in the attainment of an academic certificate, degree, or rank, and that is not issued by a person or entity that: (i) Is an entity accredited by an agency recognized as such by rule of the student achievement council or has the international equivalents of such accreditation; or (ii) is an entity authorized as a degree-granting institution by the student achievement council; or (iii) is an entity exempt from the requirements of authorization as a degree-granting institution by the student achievement council; or (iv) is an entity that has been granted a waiver by the student achievement council from the requirements of authorization by the council. Such documents include, but are not limited to, academic certificates, degrees, coursework, degree credits, transcripts, or certification of completion of a degree.
Fake Degrees and Fraudulent Credentials in Higher Education is a book published by Springer Link (2023) that describes credential fraud in higher education. Chapters address:
Credly by Pearson published How Digital Credentials can Prevent Fraudulent Certification and Qualifications, a white paper highlighting the impact of fraudulent certification and qualifications on issuing organizations, earners of credentials, and employers. The paper makes the case that digital credentials offer a secure and verifiable alternative. It also provides a Credential Fraud Prevention Checklist (page 8) that credential program providers can use to help reduce credential fraud and to preserve the integrity of their programs. Credly describes its platform product, Acclaim, which enables qualification and certification providers to create and issue digital credentials and badges backed by verifiable data. Enabling such a verification process may reduce the risk of credential fraud and make it easier for badge earners, educational institutions, and employers to check their authenticity.
Blonquist, A. (May 2022). What Are Diploma Mills & How Do They Lead To Resume Lies? https://www.goodhire.com/resources/articles/what-are-diploma-mills-do-they-lead-to-resume-lies/
Credly by Pearson. (2023)). How Digital Credentials can Prevent Fraudulent Certification and Qualifications. https://info.credly.com/hubfs/info.Credly%20PDF%20resources/Guides%20Whitepapers%20Infographics/White%20Papers/Final_Whitepaper_How%20Digital%20Credentials%20Can%20Prevent%20Fraudulent%20Certification%20and%20Qualifications_260423.pdf
Greenfield, N. M. (June 2023). The many – always deleterious – faces of credential fraud. In University and World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230602093827424
Park, H., and Craddock, A. (December 12, 2017). Diploma Mills: 9 Strategies for Tackling One of Higher Education’s Most Wicked Problems. World Education News + Reviews. https://wenr.wes.org/2017/12/diploma-mills-9-strategies-for-tackling-one-of-higher-educations-most-wicked-problems
Washington State Legislature (effective 2012). False academic credentials—Unlawful issuance or use—Definitions—Penalties. RCW 60.070
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